Living Creatures: Exploring their Characteristics Class 6 Question Answer Science Chapter 10

Living Creatures: Exploring their Characteristics Class 6 Questions and Answers NCERT Solutions

Class 6 Science Chapter 10 Living Creatures: Exploring their Characteristics Question Answer

Let Us Enhance Our Learning

Question 1.
List the similarities and differences in life cycles of plants and animals.
Answer:
Similarities in life cycles between plants and animals are as follows
(i) Both undergo different stages in their life cycles (e.g. seed to plant, egg to adult).
(ii) Both reproduce to maintain the continuity of their own kind.

Differences in life cycles of plants and animals are as follows
(i) Animals move from one place to another, while most plants are stationary.
(ii) Animal life cycle involve stages like birth, growth and reproduction, while plant life cycles include seed germination, growth, flowering and seed production.

Question 2.
The table given below shows some data. Study the data and try to find out examples appropriate for the conditions given in the second and third columns. If you think that an example for any of the conditions given below is not possible, explain why.

Answer:

Question 3.
You have learnt that different conditions are required for seed germination. How can we use this knowledge for proper storage of grains and pulses?
Answer:
To store grains and pulses properly, keep them in a cool, dry place with good ventilation to prevent moisture build up. This conditions inhibits the germination, which helps in proper storage of grains and pulses.

Question 4.
You have learnt that a tail is present in a tadpole, but it disappears as it grows into a frog. What is the advantage of having a tail in the tadpole stage?
Answer:
The tail helps tadpoles to swim efficiently in water, aiding in movement and feeding. As they mature, legs develop for terrestrial mobility, making the tail redundant.

Question 5.
Charan says that a wooden log is non-living as it cannot move. Charu counters it by saying that it is living because it is made of wood obtained from trees. Give your arguments in favour or against the two statements given by Charan and Charu.
Answer:
Against Charu/ Favour Charan – Once the wood is separated from the tree, it no longer exhibits growth, reproduction or other life processes, making it non-living.

Question 6.
What are the similarities and distinguishing features in the life cycles of a mosquito and a frog?
Answer:
The similarities in the life cycles of a mosquito and a frog are as follows
(i) Both undergo transformation with distinct life stages.
(ii) Both lives start as eggs.
The distinguishing features in the life cycles of a mosquito and a frog are as follows
(i) Life cycle of mosquitoes – egg, larva, pupa, adult.

Life cycle of frog- egg, tadpole, froglet, adult.
(ii) Mosquitoes are entirely terrestrial in adult stages, while frogs can live both on land and in water (amphibians)

Question 7.
A plant is provided with all the conditions suitable for its growth. Draw what you expect to see in the shoot and the root of the plant after one week. Write down the reasons.

Answer:
Expected observations

(i) Shoot grows upward, towards the light source.
(ii) Root grows downwards, into the soil for stability and nutrient absorption.
Reasons
(i) Shoots grow towards light.
(ii) Roots grow downwards for anchorage and nutrient absorption.

Question 8.
Tara and Vijay set up the experiment shown in the picture. What do you think they want to find out? How will they know if they are correct?

Answer:
Tara and Vijay wants to find out that the direction of growth of root and shoot does not get affected by the orientation of seed placed in the soil.
They will know if they are correct if the shoot always grows upwards (towards the light) and the root always grows downwards (into the soil), regardless of how the seed is placed.

Question 9.
Design an experiment to check if temperature has an effect on seed germination.
Answer:
Aim To check if temperature has an effect on seed germination.
Materials Required
Three pots, garden soil, few soybean seed and water.
Procedure :
(i) Take three identical pots filled with garden soil and sow a soybean seed in each pot.
(ii) Place one pot in a warm environment, one in a cool environment, and one at room temperature.
(iii) Ensure all other conditions, i.e. light, water and soil are identical.
(iv) Observe and record the germination rate and seedling growth, over 10 days.
Observation :
Seeds in the warm environment germinate faster than those in cooler temperatures and at room temperature.
Conclusion :
Temperature plays a crucial role in germination of seed.

NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 10 Living Creatures: Exploring their Characteristics

Intext Questions

Question 1.
What are some common characteristics that make living beings very different from the non-living beings? (Page 185)
Answer:
Living beings can be distinguished from non-living things by their ability to carry out various characteristics such as movement, respiration, growth, environmental stimuli and reproduction.

Question 2.
List five things around you that can move on their own. (Page 185)
Answer:
Birds, dog, human, cat and frog can move on their own,

Question 3.
Can we consider growth as a characteristics of living beings? (Page 186)
Answer:
Yes, we can consider growth as a characteristics of living beings. However, there are some exceptions such as mountains which also shows growth, but are not living beings.

Question 4.
List five living beings that require food to grow. (Page 186)
Answer:
Cat, dog, children, birds and frogs.

Question 5.
List three stimuli (plural of stimulus) and your body’s instant response to them. (Page 187)
Answer:
The three stimuli and body’s instant response to them are ts follows.
(i) moving our hands away on touching a hot object.
(ii) closing of eyes, when we see anything coming towards us.
(iii) removing feet, when we unexpectedly step on a sharp object.

Question 6.
Why do leaves of chhui-mui and amla plants respond to stimuli? Which stimulus could be responsible for their behaviour? (Page 187)
Answer:
The leaves of chhui-mui and amla plants respond to their environment to protect themselves. The main stimulus for chhui-mui’s reaction is touch, while amla respond to change in its environment.

Question 7.
List young ones of five different animals. (Page 187)
Answer:
Cat – Kitten
Dog- Puppy
Frog-Tadpole
Cow-Calf
Butterfly-Catterpillar

Question 8.
Why is reproduction necessary? (Page 187)
Answer:
Reproduction is necessary for the continuity of life.

Question 9.
In which category would you place a seed-living or non-living? Why? (Page 188)
Answer:
Seeds are considered as living because they are capable of germinating to produce a new plant under optimum conditions.

Question 10.
What are the conditions required for seed germination? (Page 188)
Answer:
Light (only for some seeds), water and air are essential conditions for seed germination.

Question 11.
Do you think sunlight is necessary for germination of seeds? (Page 190)
Answer:
No, sunlight is not very much necessary for germination of seeds, but after germination, sunlight is required for further growth of the seedling.

Question 12.
How do plants respond to sunlight? Does sunlight affect the direction of growth of different parts of plants? (Page 191)
Answer:
Plant respond to sunlight in the following ways.
(i) The stem of the plant moves toward the light.
(ii) The root of the plant usually grows away from light and stay underground.
Yes, sunlight affect the direction of growth of different parts of plants, helping the plant to get light it needs.

Question 13.
What changes do you observe after the fruits are formed? Does the plant become yellow and dry even when you continue watering it? (Page 195)
Answer:
After fruits are formed on plants they grow bigger, change their colour and become ripe.
Yes, the plants become yellow and dry because after plant produces fruits it has completed its life cycle.

Question 14.
Does stagnant water have any relation with mosquitoes laying egss? (Page 196)
Answer:
Mosquitoes needs stagnant water in order to complete their life cycle. They lay their eggs in stagnant water and develop from egg to adult.

Question 15.
What differences do you observe in the shape of larvae and pupae? (Page 197)
Answer:
The larva is a worm-like creature, which emerges from an egg. The pupa is a transformative stage that occurs after the larval stage.

Question 16.
How can the life cycle of a mosquito be disrupted? (Page 197)
Answer:
The life cycle of a mosquito can be disrupted by sparying kerosene oil on stagnant water. As kerosene oil forms a thin layer over the water surface. This layer separates water from air and does not allow larvae and pupae to inhale air. As a result, they die.

Question 17.
How are the eggs of frog different from the other eggs that you have seen? (Page 201)
Answer:
Frogs’ eggs are different from the other eggs that we generally see, as eggs of frogs are jelly like and often found in big clumps or clusters, not just one at a time. They are usually laid in water, like ponds or puddles.

Question 18.
Which stage in the life cycle of the frog has the shortest duration? ,
(Page 201)
Answer:
In the life cycle of a frog the stage with the shortest duration is the egg stage.

Question 19.
Is there a change in the habitat during the various stages in the life cycle of frog? (Page 201)
Answer:
Yes, frogs change their habitat during their life cycle, as frogs move from living in water as eggs and tadpoles to spending most of their adult life on land while still needing to stay near water.

Question 20.
Do you think that birds also show significant changes in the various stages of their life cycle? (Page 202)
Answer:
Yes, birds also shows significant changes throughout their life cycle, much like other animals. It includes, egg stage, hatching stage, nestling stage, adult stage.

Question 21.
How does the life cycle of animals differ from that of plants? (Page 202)
Answer:
Animals life cycles typically involve stages like birth, growth, reproduction and death with many having complex developmental stages. On the other hand, plant life cycle usually include stages such as seed, germination, growth, flowering and seed production.

Let’s Investigate

Activity 1 (Page 184)

Aim : To identify living and non-living things.
Materials Required Pencil and notebook.

Procedure :

Take a look around yourself in your classroom.
Observe various objects near you and classify them on the basis of living or non-living.
Record your observations in the table below.
Also, mention the reason due to which you classify them as living or non-living.

Observations :

Conclusion :

All living beings show movement, respire, reproduce, excrete, respond to stimuli and eventually die whereas absence of any of these features indicates that they are non-living.

Viva Questions :

1. A train moves from one place to another. Does this mean it is a living thing?
2. Give two examples of living things other than mentioned in the table.

Activity 2 (Page 188)

Aim : To identify the conditions necessary for seed germination.
Materials Required Four identical pots, garden soil, bean seeds, khurpi and water.

Procedure :

1. Take four identical pots filled with garden soil and label these pots as A, B, C and D.
2. Now, by using a khurpi and sow four bean seeds in each pot.
3. Keep these pots in different conditions as mentioned below for 15 days.
4. In pot A, do not add water to the soil and place it directly under the Sun.
5. In pot B, add excess water so it always covers the soil. Place this pot in direct sunlight and keep adding the water as needed.

In pot C, maintain slightly moist soil by regularly adding a moderate amount of water and place this pot in a dark area.
In pot D, keep the soil slightly moist by regularly adding a moderate amount of water and place this pot in a direct sunlight.
Observe this pots for 7 to 10 days and check for germination of seeds. Record your observations in the table.

Observations :

Conclusion : Germination of bean seeds requires the right amount of water and air. Generally, presence of light is not essential for the germination of seed.

Viva Questions :

1. What would be the result if seeds of Petunia were sown in the a pot with garden soil and placed in a dark room?
2. Will germination occur if Zinnia seeds are sown with sufficient soil in a dark area?

Activity 3 (Page 191)

Aim : To study the direction of growth of root and shoot in plants in response to sunlight.
Materials Required Bean or gram seeds, damp cloth or tissue paper, glass beakers/tumblers, glass plates, blotting paper, soft cotton thread, cardboard box with a circular hole.

Procedure :

Place some bean or gram seeds on a moist cloth or tissue paper and allow them to germinate until each of them develop into a seedling having a small roots and shoots.
Now, take three glass beakers or tumblers and label them as A, B and C.
Then take three glass plates and attach a thick blotting paper to one side of each plate using a thick soft cotton thread.
Secure one seedling on each plate with the cotton thread, taking care not to damage the plant.

Now, place one glass plate upright with seedling attached into each of the beaker A and beaker C.
In beaker B, position the plates in a such way that the seedling shoot faces downward and the root faces upward.
Pour water into all three beakers, making sure the seedlings in each beaker remain above the water level.
Ensure the bottom of the blotting paper in each beaker is fully soaked so that the seedlings receive moisture from it.
Place beaker A and beaker B in direct sunlight.
Position beaker C in such a way that it receives light from only one direction through a small circular hole in a cardboard box.
Record predictions and observations in table.

Observations :

Growth of root and shoot under different conditions.

Conclusion :

Shoots of plants grow upward and exhibit movement towards sunlight, whereas roots of plants grow downwards.

Viva Questions :

1. How do different plant parts respond to sunlight?
2. In which direction would you expect a root to grow if the plant is placed inverted?

Activity 4 (Page 194)

Aim To study the life cycle of a plant.
Materials Required Bean seeds, pot and garden soil.

Procedure :

Plant a bean seed and ensure it has the appropriate conditions for growth. Monitor its growth for the next three months.
Record observations in table as changes become visible and note the date on which each change is observed.
Track how long it takes for any change to occur and make sketches of these changes in table.

Observations :
Changes observed during the growth of the plant.

Conclusion : A plant’s life cycle involves the stages of seed germination, growth, flowering, seed production and ultimately, the death of the plant.

Viva Questions :
1. What do you understand by the term life cycle?
2. Upon growing, what do the flowers turn into?

Activity 5 (Page 198)

Aim : To investigate whether larvae or pupae, emerges first into an adult mosquito.
Materials Required Container, water.

Procedure :

1. Take a walk to some common places where water in likely be stagnant.
2. Collect mosquito larvae and pupae from stagnant water source and transfer them into a container.
3. Then, separate 4-5 larvae and pupae into two separate containers.
4. Observe the containers to determine, in which of the container a mosquito appears first.

Observation :
The adult mosquito develops from the container having pupae, first and its rests briefly on the water surface before flying away.

Conclusion :

In the life cycle of mosquito the stages of progress as follows
Egg → Larva → Pupa → Adult

Viva Questions :

1. What will happen if we add kerosene in the water when mosquito are at pupal stage?
2. Where does the adult female mosquito lay its eggs?

Curiosity Class 6 Science Book Solutions